Our present invention relates to a spoon underwire for brassiere-type garments and, more particularly, to an underwire having a spoon end capable of swiveling relative to the tail of the underwire so that while the tail which extends below the breast lies in the plane of the underwire, a double-curved spoon formation at one end thereof self-adjusts to the junction of an outer part of the breast and the torso. The invention also relates to a brassiere having such spoon-type underwires.
Underwires are provided along the underside of brassiere cups to maintain the shape of the cup and to impart a predetermined configuration to the cup at its junction with the remainder of the brassiere, generally referred to as a frame. The use of underwires is also possible in brassiere-like garments such as swimsuits, other items of lingerie, preformed with cups, like camisoles and any outer garments which are formed with cups and generally are suspended by straps from the shoulders of the wearer. Reference here to brassieres, therefore, is intended to include such other brassiere-type garments as well.
Underwires of many types have been used. The underwire is generally received in a pocket formed along the underside of the cup and can be of uniform cross section over its length and can be provided at its tip with slight enlargements which can assist in anchoring the underwire in the garment and which prevent the underwire from poking through the garment, in use, when packed in a suitcase, for example, or when the garment is washed.
One of the problems with conventional underwires, whether these are of round cross section, flattened cross section or partly angular and partly rounded and whether the underwire is composed of metal, plastic or plastic-coated metal is that the underwire frequently does not fit well against the thorax and the junction between the breast and the thorax and thus may render the garment uncomfortable. In addition conventional underwire designs do not enable the garment to follow movements of the body of the wearer and thus, while imparting a certain firmness to the supporting structure of the brassiere, do not provide for the flexibility of the garment which is necessary for comfort. An earlier underwire configuration in which an armature is embedded in a surround is described in International Publication No. WO 99/48392 published Sep. 30, 1999.
It is, therefore, the principal object of the present invention to provide an improved underwire for brassieres and brassiere-type garments whereby drawbacks of earlier underwire systems are avoided.
Another object of this invention is to provide an underwire and an underwire garment which has improved comfort, a greater capacity to follow the movements of the body of the wearer, and a reduced tendency to press against the body of the wearer in a discomforting manner.
These objects and others which will become apparent hereinafter are attained, in accordance with the invention with an underwire which has, at one end a spoon shape with a double curvature, merging into a tail which extends arcuately beneath the base of the breast, the spoon formation continuing the curvature of the tail in a plane of the underwire and being curved at least in part away from the breast. According to a key feature of the invention, the spoon formation can swivel relative to the tail portion and thereby self-adjust to the particular configuration of the breast.
The tail can, in accordance with the present invention, have an oval or round cross section but preferably transitions between a circular cross section close to the spoon formation and an oval configuration more distal therefrom. The tail can, moreover, taper monotonically from the spoon formation toward its free end which is preferably rounded. It has been found to be advantageous, moreover, to form the tail with annular grooves, notches, transverse or longitudinal ribs which reduce the cross sectional area of the tail at least at some regions between the spoon formation and the free end and thus increase the flexion of the wire about an axis running through the center of the tail and transverse to or in the plane of this axis.
For the purposes of the present invention, it is convenient to think of the underwire as having an underwire axis running from the free end of the tail to the tip of the spoon formation and which lies in a plane and has the desired curvature of the base of the cup. This axis is referred to herein as the wire axis or the main axis and the xe2x80x9cplanexe2x80x9d of the underwire is the plane of this axis. In sections transverse to this axis, the tail may have cross sections which are approximately circular close to the spoon formation transitioning through oval cross sections at intermediate points along the length of the tail to a flattened oval cross section toward the free end or tip of the tail.
In planes transverse to this axis running from the transition with the tail, the spoon can have a curvature which is at least partly concave away from the interior of the arc, i.e. away from the breast, especially where the respective portion of the spoon is intended to lie along the thorax of the wearer at the junction of the outer side of the breast therewith. The curvature of the spoon formation can conform to the shape of the breast which is convex to the junction and concave at the junction so that in a cross section the spoon has a flattened S shape. Since the spoon curves longitudinally along the arc of the axis, i.e. around the breast, and curves transversely thereto as well, it is referred to as having double curvature.
The coupling between the tail and the spoon allows the spoon to swivel relative to the tail about the aforementioned main or wire axis. As a result, the tail or the spoon can twist out of the plane of the wire to follow the contour of the body and the movement thereof, greatly increasing the comfort of an underwire garment in which the underwire is incorporated.
The invention also includes a brassiere or brassiere-like garment provided with the underwire of the invention which can be held in a pocket of the garment.